Molded cushion pad insertable between heavy panels

ABSTRACT

A molded plastic cushion pad for insertion between respective heavy panels such as precast concrete, architectual slabs used in building construction and the like. The pad is placed between such heavy panels when panels are stacked against each other so as to prevent damage, permit the circulation of air and so forth. A typical plastic pad is molded from polyethyelene about the size of a man&#39;&#39;s wallet and is rectangular in formation with large protruding, hemispherical bumps on both sides making the pad also about the thickness of a man&#39;&#39;s wallet. The main body of the pad is a thin flat sheet of polyethelene and the hemispherical bumps are molded intricately therewith. Heavy concrete slabs may be stacked one on the other vertically with the present cushion pad therebetween.

United States Patent 11 1 Peacock 1 June 26, 1973 v MOLDED CUSHION PADINSERTABLE BETWEEN HEAVY PANELS [76] Inventor: Bobbie D Peacock, c/o MAIndustries, 2350 Sylvan Road, I 1 Forest Park, Ga. 30344- [22] Filed:Oct. 4, 1971 [211 App]. No.: 186,233

521 U.s.'c|. ..214/1o.sa 51 m. 865; 1/14 581 Field oISenrch 248/119;206/60;

108/51; 220/97 B; 2l4/l 0.5 R; 105/367, 369- 6]. l s sms cd UNITEDSTATES PATENTS 1,519,901 12/1924 Boazet a1. ..214/l0.5 R 2,075,473''3/1937 Schwary et a1... 214/10.5RX'

' 3,220,681 11/1965 I Erbert 108/51 X Primary Examiner-Gerald M.Forlenza Assistant Examiner-Junk E. Werner Attorney-Patrick F. Henry[57] ,I ABSTRACT A molded plastic cushion pad for insertion betweenrespective heavy panels such as precast concrete, architectual slabsused in building construction and the like. The pad is placed betweensuch heavy panels when panels are stacked against each other so as toprevent damage, permit the circulation of air and so forth. A typicalplastic pad is molded from polyethyelene about the size of a man'swallet andis rectangular in formation with large'protruding,hemispherical bumps on both sides making the pad'also about thethickness of va mans wallet. The main body of the pad is a thin flatsheet ofpolyethelene and the hemispherical bumps are molded intricatelytherewith. Heavy concrete slabs maybe stacked 'one an the othervertically'with the present cushion pad therebetween.

1 Claim, 3 Drawing Figures MOLDED CUSHION PAD INSERTABLE BETWEEN r-HEAVYPANELS CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION Application Ser. No.839,450 filed.07/07/69 now U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,301.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention Cushion devices,pads, and packing inserts. Also special supports.

2. Prior Art Discussion The closest known prior art is the above notedU.S. Pat. No. 3,612,301. The pad shown in that patent is very suitablefor both tilted stacking arrangements as shown in FIG. 3 of the patentas well as vertical stacking arrangement as shown in FIG. 4. However, asnoted in FIG. 4 with the tip 18 the device has limitations as to theextent of insertion between the heavy panels 20. Furthermore, it hasbeen determined that the absence of bumps on one side of the devicemakes it harder to slide the panels apart and also may detract from thecushion effect. The present pad is a modification of that one shown inU.S. Pat. No. 3,612,301 and is very suitable for use in vertical oralmost vertical stacking relationships.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION For use with a plurality of very heavy, closelyassociated architectual panels such as precast concrete slabs arrangedso that the weight of one panel would rest somewhat on another panel,the present cushion pad is a simple inexpensive device which may bemolded in one piece of polyethelene plastic with a plurality ofhemispherical bumps on both sides of a thin plastic panel so that whenin place the pads may be inserted to any depth between verticallystacked concrete panels and normally have only a small area of theperiphery of each hemispherical bump in contact withthe concrete slabwhereby maximum air flow and circulation is achieved as well as veryeffective cushioning and panels may be slid with less effort.

An object of this device is to provide a simple and inexpensiveprotective pad for heavy concrete slabs which is easy to install andafter which it is also easy to remove or rearrange the panels.

'As part of the above noted object it is also intended that the presentdevice provide a maximum of circulation and as much resilient cushioningas is possible under compression which is achieved by the arrangement ofbumps on both sides.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a perspective view of thepresent cushion ad. p FIG. 2 is a side elevation view of the cushion padshown in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of several concrete slabs having thepads of FIGS. 1 and 2 inserted therebetween.

DISCUSSION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The present cushion pad, which isboth a cushion and a pad, is designated generally by reference numeraland is molded integrally in one piece by a conventional moldingoperation, such as injection molding, from typical plastic material suchas polyethelene plastic. This not for a plurality of hemispherical bumps20 molded into respective surfaces l6, 18 preferably simultaneously withthe molding of the entire pad. Each bump 20 is substantiallyhemispherical in shape but such is not a mandatory configuration sinceother shapes of bumps may be used even cylindrical formations.

Also, while approximately half of a sphere has been molded in thepresent form and in side elevation as seen in FIG. 2 this becomes aneliptical shape in crosssection presenting an elipsoid or egg-shapedconfiguration, this is not a critical formation since the bumps 20 maybe larger or smaller and there may be more or less on one side or theother. Unlike the formation shown in the U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,301, thereare bumps 20 on both sides of the panel and there is no obstruction oneither side of the panel l6, 18 other than the bumps 20 to prevent thecushion pad 10 from being inserted between heavy concrete, architectualpanels designated generally by reference numeral 24 herein as shown inFIG. 3 resting on a support means 26 on the ground 28. Thus, eachcushion pad 10 may be inserted not just approximately its length fromeach end but may be inserted more or less.

As stated in U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,301, there is a minimum amount ofcontact between the bumps 20 and the respective surfaces of the panels24 between which each pad 10 is confined in the stack shown in FIG. 3,which makes it easier to slide the bumps along the surface and viceversa and since the material such as polyethelene plastic and the likeare smooth and have some amount of lubrication it is easier to effectrelative motion between the pad 10 and the panels 24. Even more air cancirculate in the areas between the bumps 20 on both the side 16 and theside 18 than in the embodiment disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,612,301because there are bumps on both sides. This is even more effective inpreventing curing stains and other problems which may arise from eithertoo much contact or a lack of circulation of air and at the same timethe cushion effect has been improved since there are bumps on both sidesrather than one side. The pad 10 includes the usual holes 14 on oppositecorners which can be used to nail the pads 10 to wood frames whenevernecessary or for any other use, such as hanging the pad 10 on a nail,whereas it would be otherwise necessary to penetrate the pad 10.

While I have shown and described a particular exact form of the .padusing for example hemispherical shapes, as mentioned previously, whilethe particular pad is a preferred embodiment there are variousalterations, changes, deviations, eliminations, modifications,substitutions and departures which may be made in the particular formdepicted and described without departing from the scope of my inventionas defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed:

1. A cushion pad to be positioned between respective, successive heavypanels such as precast, concrete architectual panels:

a. a unitary, molded pad constructed from polyethelene and the like, ofsubstantially thin construction t and havinga substantially flatback anda substantially flat front each having a plurality of spaced, 1

thereon arranged in spaced relai sides thereof, whereby said pad so thatthe bumps on one panel and the bumps on the other sideflengagethe n nextsuccessive panel protruding bumps tionship on both maybe positionedbetween stacked heavy panels to permit and tocushion said panels,

therebetween I ing hemispherical in 1 formation,

said bumps be side engagea respective air oircuiation thereof.

e."aidlpailbeing ub mp on onesideiof said pad correin rows, there beinga

1. A cushion pad to be positioned between respective, successive heavypanels such as precast, concrete architectual panels: a. a unitary,molded pad constructed from polyethelene and the like, of substantiallythin construction and having a substantially flat back and asubstantially flat front each having a plurality of spaced, protrudingbumps thereon arranged in spaced relationship on both sides thereof,whereby said pad may be positioned between stacked heavy panels so thatthe bumps on one side engage a respective panel and the bumps on theother side engage the next successive panel to permit air circulationtherebetween and to cushion said panels, b. said bumps beinghemispherical in formation, c. said bumps being arranged in rows, therebeing a void space substantially in the middle of said rows of saidbumps, d. there being a bump on one side of said pad correspondingapproximately to a bump on the other side, e. said pad beingsubstantially longer than the width thereof.